Indore: Even as the country is getting digi-smater by the day… smarter minds are mastering the e-techniques to dupe “naïve” users. During the pandemic, cybercrimes have increased by more than 100% this year.
This increase in the number of cybercrimes has been recorded till September 30, which is more than double of last year. Cyber officials say that most of the incidents were reported during lockdown. Cybercriminals targeted many people and duped them of lakhs of rupees in the name of Paytm KYC, debit card upgradation, redeeming reward points of credit or debit cards etc.
From January 2019 to September 2019, about 333 cybercrime complaints were made to the State Cyber Cell, which increased to 748 this year between January and September 2020. This figure was provided by the state cyber cell, besides many complaints have also been lodged in the crime branch.
These figures include women-related crimes, creating fake Facebook IDs, hacking Facebook IDs and demanding money from Facebook friends, etc.
Online data entry fraud
During the pandemic, many people have lost their jobs. In this crisis of unemployment, people are coming under the scanner of fake companies, which are duping people in the name of earning from home by doing data entry work online. Conmen burn the midnight lamp to do the contact research before giving work on the website. After this, the companies give Rs 200 to 300 per page of easy work and claim that they can earn millions in this way, but only after a few days people start getting calls that they have not done the work according to the contract of the company and the company is going to register a case against you. Money is demanded to end the case when people send money to conmen to avoid legal action against him. Some complaints about such crime were reported to the crime branch.
BLACKMAIL AFTER RECORDING CALL ON WHATSAPP
The crime branch also received complaints from a trader and a student from the city that they were contacted by thugs through WhatsApp two months ago. Thugs made video calls and when the complainants received the calls, there was nude girl on the screen. The cyber criminal recorded the screen and they were blackmailing the complainants of making the video viral if they don’t pay up. The complainants were scared of the same but they didn’t give money to the cheats and lodged a complaint with the crime branch. An advisory was also issued by the crime branch to avoid such crimes.
Beware of cyber thugs
Do not receive calls from any unknown or suspicious numbers or do not download any application sent by anyone in your mobile. Also, do not share your QR code or the details of credit and debit cards with anyone to avoid cyber crime. - Jitendra Singh, Superintendent of Police (cyber cell)
FP VIEW
Use your phone wisely and judiciously. Do not share your PIN or OTP with anyone. There may be callers “regarding your credit card” and the caller may be “knowing” some of your personal details… but that’s the catch. After “gaining’ your confidence, the caller will then ask you for the vital PIN or OTP… and if you give in to his “demand”… you had it.
